Welcome to Rocket City Mom’s Great Big Back to School Giveaway, where all the prizes are for parents and guardians of students in Huntsville and Madison County!

We get it – preparing kids to go back to school is exciting, and busy, and STRESSFUL. You’ve prepped the supplies. You’ve planned your dinner menus. You’ve figured out a way to get kids to extracurriculars and homework done on weeknights. You’ve joined the PTA. Now let’s do a little something nice for YOU! All ten of the giveaways below are something our partners have contributed because they know parents need to remember to be nice to themselves too. If Mom & Dad aren’t happy, NOBODY’S happy, amiright?

How to Enter & How to Claim Your Winnings

Enter one of the giveaways below, or enter them all in the Rafflecopter boxes below. Just follow the directions – it is possible for readers to have three entries to each giveaway if you choose, so why not max out your chances by doing them all? Of course if you’re short on time one entry is fine too.

You can check back here after the contest is over to see if you won but we also ALWAYS contact the winner via the email they’ve entered. Signed up via Facebook? Well then the email we’re using to contact you is the email you use to login there!

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Because so many of these giveaways are for local events, the turn around time is quick and often you’ll only have 8-24 hours to claim your prize or we’ll draw a new winner. We will announce winners on August 11th, except for the comedy show winners that will be announced August 9th. Be sure to share with your friends & fellow PTA members!

Make Something Meaningful

Rocket City Mom is a website about raising children in and around Huntsville, Alabama. Started in late 2010 by a local mom and newcomer to Huntsville, Rocket City Mom has grown into a thriving community of local parents and now boasts a staff of four, thirteen regular contributors, and tens of thousands of Tennessee Valley readers making it the #1 Parenting Resource in North Alabama.

69 Comments

And my best back to school tip would be to get the bedtime routine set before school starts to minimize the shock ;)0

KristenJuly 31, 2017 @ 9:14 PM

crock-pot meals 🙂

StaceyJuly 31, 2017 @ 9:17 PM

Don’t leave things for the morning that can be done the night before. A sleepy head, burnt toast, or early bus can throw off a routine.

RondaJuly 31, 2017 @ 9:28 PM

Setting our routine seems to help our kiddos the most.

LuAnneJuly 31, 2017 @ 9:32 PM

Pick an outfit with room to grow so you can do a last day of school pic in the same outfit to see how they have grown.

TiffanyJuly 31, 2017 @ 9:33 PM

Wow, Routine, Routine, Routine. They know what to expect and things run so much smoother.

RondaJuly 31, 2017 @ 9:38 PM

Set a routine!

HeatherJuly 31, 2017 @ 9:42 PM

My son starts PreK on the 14th. I’m one nervous and excited Mommy.

MelissaJuly 31, 2017 @ 9:51 PM

When we were little, mom would arrange our outfits for the week in gallon baggies: top, bottom, socks, underwear, and matching hair accessories. Grab a baggie and get dressed! Solves the “nothing to wear” woes.

Mia TayloeJuly 31, 2017 @ 9:54 PM

Prep, prep and prep!

AdrienneJuly 31, 2017 @ 10:01 PM

I put outfits together in my daughter’s drawers so she can quickly grab a set and get dressed knowing she matches and doesn’t have to spend time picking out shirts and pants.

Rita VernonJuly 31, 2017 @ 10:52 PM

What an awesome way to celebrate the parents in this whirlwind of school supplies, packing lunches, and trying to find matching socks 🙃

KatieJuly 31, 2017 @ 11:08 PM

Set a routine and prep for the week in advance!

Dana ShoresJuly 31, 2017 @ 11:40 PM

Get up extra early the first few mornings, they always seem to be the craziest.

RebeccaJuly 31, 2017 @ 11:43 PM

We do as much the night before as we can – pick out outfits, breakfast, etc. and go to bed early!

JenniferAugust 1, 2017 @ 1:18 AM

Get things together the night before. I also have the girls pick out their clothes the night before also.

TonyaAugust 1, 2017 @ 7:10 AM

❤️ This! My best advice is set a realistic routine but be flexible.

Norma LopezAugust 1, 2017 @ 7:12 AM

Send the kids to sleep early at least 2-3 nights before the first day of school. Prepare all the things you/they gonna need for school the day before not in the morning.

Norma lopezAugust 1, 2017 @ 7:20 AM

My kid always struggle to wake up in the mornings so he always take his shower the night before bed time in that way in the morning just get up to get dress.

AnnaAugust 1, 2017 @ 7:56 AM

This is awesome! I love Rocket City Mom! Good luck everyone…with the giveaway and with getting back into the school year routine.

ChrisAugust 1, 2017 @ 7:59 AM

I agree with the bedtime routine, and, I keep the Explore Huntsville app handy for cool things to do after school, on days off, and weekends! LOVE RCM!!

KimberlyAugust 1, 2017 @ 11:27 AM

I use different colored highlighters for each of my children on the calendar. It makes it easier to know what is going on/or needing to be done that day for each child at a glance.

TristaAugust 1, 2017 @ 3:20 PM

Best things is to have everything ready the night before!

MelissaAugust 1, 2017 @ 3:47 PM

MEal plans and a tight schedule in my planner make sure we are all fed and getting everything done

SarahAugust 1, 2017 @ 4:38 PM

Equip your children to handle responsibilities like packing lunch and getting ready!

GinaAugust 1, 2017 @ 9:24 PM

Getting myself up before the kids and taking a walk helps me be ready to face the day.

Aimee MinterAugust 2, 2017 @ 8:31 AM

A few tips I’ve learned over the years is be prepared. Set clothes out the night before, make lunches the night before, and check bookbags before you go to bed.

AmyAugust 2, 2017 @ 9:12 AM

Set a specific time for homework so it doesn’t get put off.

Jessica BumbaloughAugust 2, 2017 @ 7:45 PM

Love this opportunity for parents to get a back to school treat!! I need a pick me up too after sending the kids back.

Jessica BumbaloughAugust 2, 2017 @ 7:58 PM

Back to school must: Praying together! I forgot in the rush of this morning and it was the worst feeling all day. Prayers over my kids, their teachers, and their friends (new and old). I said one for them but I know it always calms their jitters.

Crissie WoolardAugust 2, 2017 @ 9:46 PM

I always have my girls get everything they need ready for the next day. Also start projects and reports the day the get them and not wait until last minute to start

Abigail D.August 3, 2017 @ 8:24 AM

I’m excited for this new school year! I usually have a boo-hoo breakfast after drop -off on the first day with some mom friends.

StaceyAugust 3, 2017 @ 8:25 AM

I definitely agree with making your children responsible for getting/being ready. I heard an 8yo boy at camp last week say his mom forgot to pack his socks. Um, if you need socks, it’s your job to make sure you have them!

machelleAugust 3, 2017 @ 8:34 AM

Why is it hitting me harder that my son is going into 10th grade then it is my daughter is going into 2nd? I thought I would be more upset about my baby growing up. So odd!

Crystal OAugust 3, 2017 @ 8:52 AM

Use your crock pot and set clothes out the night before

Ashley CAugust 3, 2017 @ 9:23 AM

Shop early for school supplies so you aren’t left with the last pick of stuff (aka all pink pencil boxes). Also, apparently the PTA Facebook pages are the ONLY place to get a lot of school information about events. So, if you don’t “like” them, you don’t know! Other advice, make use of your mom network around you (work, home, etc.) – you would be surprised that even those HS student moms remember a lot from Elementary – they may even know what you should know before you know it (thanks PTA Facebook pages that Kindergarten moms don’t know anything about).

g baileyAugust 3, 2017 @ 11:48 AM

begin easing into school bedtimes a week before school starts

ColleenAugust 3, 2017 @ 12:09 PM

Like many others, my tip is to prepare ahead as much as possible!

Susan AndersonAugust 3, 2017 @ 1:11 PM

Read RCM – every issue, every post – you will be prepared for back to school and every other parenting event or situation. Kudos, Jennifer and Stephenie!

Pack lunches after dinner for the next school day and keep it simple!!

Amy KAugust 10, 2017 @ 8:14 AM

Make sure the kids get plenty of sleep!

sheilaAugust 10, 2017 @ 8:38 AM

My back to school tip is to start waking up and going to bed earlier 2-3 days before school actually starts. That way they have plenty of sleep the night before school starts.

KimiAugust 10, 2017 @ 9:14 AM

My tip: wake up 30 minutes earlier than you did last year. I’ve got two in school this year, and that extra 30 minutes gives us the time we need, to get both kids ready for school. We seem to be less stressed and less rushed when we do that. It makes for a better morning.

Susie FrenchAugust 10, 2017 @ 9:27 AM

I have four boys. And I hate making lunches. Before school started this year, I bought a 10-pack of cheap Bento Box plastic lunch holders. It makes me happy to see the little compartments filled neatly with food. I think I’ve done better about putting fruits and veggies in their lunches too (because it looks so pretty.)

Stephanie WAugust 10, 2017 @ 10:37 AM

I like to have freezer meals I can put in the fridge to defrost in the morning & cook in the evening.

Candas RAugust 10, 2017 @ 11:41 AM

My best bedtime routine would be to make sure clothes are out the night before, keep kids on schedule by serving dinner at the same time every night and putting them to bed at the same time every night!

Laura TAugust 10, 2017 @ 11:59 AM

Get into a routine and stick with it! No TV on weeknights is key at our house.

NgAugust 10, 2017 @ 12:42 PM

Prayer is the key. Commit all into the capable hands of our Lord Jesus Christ, we can power through anything gracefully.

Linda RickabaughAugust 10, 2017 @ 12:57 PM

I gotta say, I love when the kids go back to school!😁

AprilAugust 10, 2017 @ 2:32 PM

My advice is make it through the 1st week back…….then I have my faith in myself to know that I got this under control! Alot of very deep breaths and laying everything out the night before has helped us in the mornings!

Bergith WAugust 10, 2017 @ 2:43 PM

prepare meals ahead of time is the biggest help for me.

Ashley MannAugust 10, 2017 @ 9:54 PM

My advice is to get everyone to bed as early as possible; not JUST the kids! This new kindergarten.